Red and black corset Goth wedding dress for Faye

Faye commissioned an unusual dress in black and red duchess satin. The inspiration for the design came from a dress worn by a lady in one of her favourite music videos! Faye’s dress was created as a two piece, bodice and skirt but with several different ways the skirt and train could be worn to give different looks for the ceremony and into the evening.

Faye’s dress has a fitted and heavily boned bodice with a sweetheart neckline edged with pleated black tulle and beaded lace to soften the line. It laced shut at the back over a contrast colour modesty panel. The skirt was fitted to her upper hip and then flared in an a-line over netting to the floor. A feature water-fall ‘pick-up’ was pinned up to her bodice with a beautiful brooch, connecting the two halves of the design, and revealing the contrast red underskirt. The red hip sash was finished with long sash ends at the back that flowed down Faye’s train. See pictures further down for how the skirt could be changed for day/evening looks. I also made Faye’s birdcage veil and her husband’s tie.

Original design sketches

The smaller sketches show the ideas and options for Faye’s skirt. The front would hook up even further for the evening to reveal the black tulle and netting below the red underskirt. The back of the dress could have had any number of features, in the end. Faye choose that in the largest main picture of plain sash ends.

Faye’s head-dress was specially commissioned to go with her dress. I used black twisted wire and a mix of red and black Swarovski crystals to create the piece. Fixed to a comb for easy insertion in her hair style the black bird cage veil could then be arranged to suit.

The three mini grips, each with a tiny black swarovski crystal for Faye to use when fixing the bird-cage veil across her face and into her hair.

Faye dancing the night away with the train usefully bustled out of the way

Detail of the pleated tulle edging and beaded lace

Dressing the Bride

Making Faye’s Dress

Fitting pics from Faye’s first fitting, the shell of the skirt and the toile of the bodice, only half boned.

Second fitting, the outfit progresses

Back with train out and with train bustled up for the evening

Detail of the lacing holes and beaded lace

Detail of the back-lacing and sweet heart neckline

Faye at her final fitting

The finished skirt front, left as for the ceremony and right, with the red layer hitched up too, for the evening

The birdcage veil fascinator with black french veiling and wired Swarovski crystal highlights.

‘Something blue’, hidden among more red roses next to the wrist loop for lifting the train